Cable support apparatus for a raised floor system

ABSTRACT

The presently disclosed cable support apparatus for raised floor systems includes a plurality of pedestals, a plurality of floor panels structured and arranged to be mounted and supported directly on said plurality of support pedestals, first and second mounting brackets, and a channel section depending from the first and second mounting brackets, wherein the cable support apparatus is structured and arranged to support lengths of cable thereon. The cable support apparatus including each of the first and second mounting brackets having a horizontally disposed surface, a first pair of vertical side portions depending from the horizontally disposed surface, the pair of vertical side portions having a predetermined height; and a second pair of vertical side wall portions being shorter in height than the first pair of vertical side portions and depending from the horizontally disposed surface at each end of the mounting brackets.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Serial No. 60/221,319 filed on Jul. 28, 2000, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002] 1. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for supporting cables in conjunction with a raised floor system and more particularly to a cable support apparatus used with a raised floor system that includes structurally self supporting floor panels mounted directly on supporting pedestals.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] Raised floor systems have been developed to provide the additional utility space needed in various different conduit or cable intensive environments where the original construction did not provide adequate means for accommodating the vast amount of conduit or cable. For example, probably the most common environment requiring vast amounts of additional protected space is for large computing systems. Such installations were typically made in facilities which simply were not designed to accommodate the vast amount of cable runs required to operate the typical large computer system. Other applications where additional utility space is required include mechanical systems, e.g., heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems.

[0006] A typical raised floor system installation requires arranging a plurality of support pedestals in a predetermined array on a floor or other support structure, interconnecting the array of support pedestals with a plurality of interconnecting stringer elements to form a lattice structure, and disposing a plurality of floor panels on the plurality of interconnecting stringer elements to form a floor surface. When installing a cable management system in a raised floor system, the typical cable management system includes constructing an independent conduit assembly to route cable beneath the raised floor structure.

[0007] A raised floor system cable support apparatus exists which utilizes cable baskets incorporating stringers for use in floor systems where the floor panels and supported in part by the stringer.

[0008] However, a need exists for a cable support assemblies for use in a raised floor system environment where the existing floor panels are self supporting (i.e., do not require separate support stringers for support).

SUMMARY

[0009] The presently disclosed cable support apparatus for raised floor systems includes a plurality of pedestals, a plurality of floor panels structured and arranged to be mounted and supported directly on said plurality of support pedestals, first and second mounting brackets, and a channel section depending from the first and second mounting brackets, wherein the cable support apparatus is structured and arranged to support lengths of cable thereon. The cable support apparatus including each of the first and second mounting brackets having a horizontally disposed surface, a first pair of vertical side portions depending from the horizontally disposed surface, the pair of vertical side portions having a predetermined height; and a second pair of vertical side wall portions being shorter in height than the first pair of vertical side portions and depending from the horizontally disposed surface at each end of the mounting brackets.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention a raised floor system is provided, which raised floor system includes a plurality of support pedestals, a plurality of floor panels structured and arranged to be mounted and supported directly on the plurality of support pedestals, each of the support pedestals having a base plate; and a cable support apparatus having a first mounting bracket, a second mounting bracket and a channel section depending from the first and second mounting brackets, wherein the cable support apparatus is structured and arranged to support lengths of cable thereon. The first and second mounting brackets including a horizontally disposed surface, a first pair of vertical side portions depending from the horizontally disposed surface, the pair of vertical side portions having a predetermined height; and a second pair of vertical side wall portions being shorter in height than the first pair of vertical side portions and depending from the horizontally disposed surface at each end of the mounting bracket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the presently disclosed raised floor system and cable support assembly are described herein with reference to the drawings, wherein:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the integration of one illustrative embodiment of a cable support apparatus for a raised floor system partially installed in a raised floor system wherein floor panels are directly mounted on pedestals without the use of separate stringer elements;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one configuration of a cable basket for the cable support apparatus for a raised floor system;

[0014]FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective partial view of the mounting arrangement of a cable basket on a pedestal in a raised floor system wherein floor panels are directly mounted on a pedestal without the use of separate stringer elements; and

[0015]FIG. 4 is a frontal partial view of a stringer of a cable basket positioned between two raised floor panels mounted on a pedestal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Referring now in specific detail to the drawings in which like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements throughout the several views, a cable support apparatus 10 is shown integrated with a raised floor system that has floor panels 18 that mount directly onto pedestals 12. Floor panels 18 are structurally configured to provide sufficient structural support to bear the rated load for the raised floor system without the need for separate stringer elements to support the floor panels.

[0017] Cable support apparatus 10 includes a cable basket 14 which is supported by pedestals 12 and configured to fit between floor panels 18 (as shown in FIG. 4). While a single cable basket 14 is typically supported by four adjacent pedestals 12, it is within the scope of the present disclosure that cable baskets 14 may be modified so as to be supported by more or less than four pedestals 12 and by floor pedestals 12 that are not necessarily adjacent to one another. An example of a cable support apparatus for a raised floor system which features cable brackets somewhat similar to the presently disclosed cable support apparatus may be found in applicant's related copending International Application Number PCT/US98/19051 which is a continuation in part of applicant's U.S. application Ser. No. 08/927,506, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,870. The entire contents of each of these disclosures is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0018] In FIG. 2, a cable basket 14 of cable support apparatus 10 is shown. Cable basket 14 includes a pair of inverted U-shaped mounting brackets such as stringers 20 that are attached to, for example, by welding, and structurally support a cable channel section. Stringers 20 are made of metal and preferably configured in an inverted U-shape, but can be any typical load bearing beam shape such as an “I” or box beam.

[0019] As seen in FIG. 3, the U-shaped stringers 20 each include an upper portion or horizontal surface 30, and two vertical side portions 32. At each end, which are the same, the stringers 20 include two shortened vertical side wall portions 34 and two second portion bottom edges 36. The shortened vertical side wall portions 34 formed at each end of each stringer 20 extend inward from the ends thereof approximately one inch and have a height which is less than a height of the vertical side portions 32. Each vertical side portion 32 includes a cut-out portion 38 formed at the juncture of the vertical side portion 32 and the shortened vertical side wall portions 34. The cable support channel section is formed from wire stock having longitudinal sections 26 attached to transverse sections 24. Transverse sections 24 include riser portions 28 that are attached to stringers 20 by welding, or a similar method such as providing through holes within stringer 20 (not shown), that provides sufficient structural support for wire loads.

[0020] As seen in FIG. 3, portions of two cable baskets 14 are shown positioned on a pedestal 12. Pedestal 12 includes a base plate 42 having a plurality of bracket portions 40 extending substantially orthogonally upward from a peripheral edge of base plate 42. As seen in FIG. 3, one stringer 20 of a first cable basket 14 is shown positioned with first portion 34 of vertical side portions 32 resting on top of base plate 42 while cut-out portions 38 formed in each side portion 32 mate with bracket portion 40. In this manner, the mating of the cut-out portions 38 of vertical side portions 32 together with the bracket portion 40 of the base plate 42 effectively maintains the relative positioning of the stringer 20 with respect to the pedestal 12. Also seen in FIG. 3 is a stringer 20 of a second cable basket 14 which is spaced from the pedestal 12 and is about to be positioned onto the base plate 42 of the pedestal 12.

[0021] Stringers 20 can be additionally secured by positioning screws through a hole 44 of stringer 20 which aligns with a through hole 46 formed in the base plate 42. The second portion bottom edges 36 of stringers 20 are positioned below floor panels 18 and contain attachment points for riser portions 28. Cable baskets 14 are configured to be installed when a floor panel 18 is removed. Stringers 20 are configured to be structurally non-interfering and thus do not support a significant load, if any at all, of floor panels 18.

[0022] In FIG. 4, a stringer 20 is shown positioned between and spaced from the recessed vertical side walls of two adjacent floor panels 18 on pedestal 12. While a single stringer 20 of cable basket 14 is shown positioned between two floor panels 18 on base plate 42, it is envisioned that two stringers 20 can be accommodated in the space between the floor panels to provide adjacent parallel rows of cable baskets 14.

[0023] Although the illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cable support apparatus for a raised floor system including a plurality of pedestals, a plurality of floor panels structured and arranged to be mounted and supported directly on said plurality of support pedestals, which cable support apparatus comprises: first and second mounting brackets, each of said first and second mounting brackets including: a horizontally disposed surface; a first pair of vertical side portions depending from said horizontally disposed surface, said pair of vertical side portions having a predetermined height; and a second pair of vertical side wall portions being shorter in height than said first pair of vertical side portions and depending from said horizontally disposed surface at each end of the mounting brackets; and a channel section depending from the first and second mounting brackets, wherein the cable support apparatus is structured and arranged to support lengths of cable thereon.
 2. The cable support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cut-out portion formed at the juncture of said first and second pairs of vertical side portions, whereby said cut-out portion of each end of each mounting bracket is structured and arranged to cooperate with said pedestals in order to mount said cable support apparatus to said pedestals.
 3. The cable support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said channel section defines a plurality of openings therein.
 4. The cable support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said channel section is formed of wire stock.
 5. The cable support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said channel section includes a plurality of support members extending from said first mounting bracket to said second mounting bracket.
 6. The cable support apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of support members are maintained at a predetermined distance from each other.
 7. The cable support apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined distance is substantially uniform.
 8. The cable support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said channel section is suspended from said first and second mounting brackets by permanently securing said channel section to said first and second mounting brackets.
 9. A raised floor system, comprising: a plurality of support pedestals; a plurality of floor panels structured and arranged to be mounted and supported directly on said plurality of support pedestals, each of said support pedestals having a base plate; and a cable support apparatus having a first mounting bracket, a second mounting bracket and a channel section depending from the first and second mounting brackets, wherein the cable support apparatus is structured and arranged to support lengths of cable thereon; wherein each of said first and second mounting brackets includes: a horizontally disposed surface; a first pair of vertical side portions depending from said horizontally disposed surface, said pair of vertical side portions having a predetermined height; and a second pair of vertical side wall portions being shorter in height than said first pair of vertical side portions and depending from said horizontally disposed surface at each end of the mounting bracket.
 10. The cable support apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a cut-out portion formed at the juncture of said first and second pairs of vertical side portions, whereby said cut-out portion of each end of each mounting bracket is structured and arranged to cooperate with said pedestals in order to mount said cable support apparatus to said pedestals.
 11. The cable support apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said channel section defines a plurality of openings therein.
 12. The cable support apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said channel section is formed of wire stock.
 13. The cable support apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said channel section includes a plurality of support members extending from said first mounting bracket to said second mounting bracket.
 14. The cable support apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of support members are maintained at a predetermined distance from each other.
 15. The cable support apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said predetermined distance is substantially uniform.
 16. The cable support apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said channel section is suspended from said first and second mounting brackets by permanently securing said channel section to said first and second mounting brackets.
 17. A method of installing a cable support apparatus in a raised floor system, comprising the steps of: disposing a series of support pedestals in a predetermined array on a base; interconnecting at least a portion of the series of support pedestals with said cable support apparatus to form part of the lattice structure, the cable support apparatus includes first and second mounting brackets and a channel section depending from the first and second mounting brackets, wherein each of said first and second mounting brackets includes: a horizontally disposed surface; a first pair of vertical side portions depending from said horizontally disposed surface, wherein said first pair of vertical side portions has a predetermined height; a second pair of vertical side wall portions being shorter in height than said first pair of vertical side portions and depending from said horizontally disposed surface at each end of the first and second mounting brackets; and disposing a plurality of floor panels directly on said plurality of support pedestals such that the brackets of the cable support apparatus are disposed between adjacent floor panels.
 18. The method for installing a cable support apparatus in a raised floor system, wherein a cut-out portion si formed at the juncture of said first and second pairs of vertical side portions, whereby said cut-out portion of each end of each mounting bracket is structured and arranged to cooperate with said pedestals in order to mount said cable support apparatus to said pedestals. 